MyOtherDrive Review

MyOtherDriveSince everything is digital these days, we can accumulate a large amount of files without ending up with piles of documents, heavy photo albums and hundreds of discs. Our computers can hold thousands of files and if we need to access them in a different location, we can send them by email or save them to a USB drive. However, some files may be too big to be emailed and USB drives can easily get lost. Not to mention that your computer could be affected by a virus, or in the case of a laptop, stolen or lost. Fortunately, there is a way to ensure that your data is protected and accessible always.

With an online backup service like MyOtherDrive, you will be able to save and share files without any hassle. Established in 2005, MyOtherDrive is a convenient and reliable solution to back up and share your files without the need of hardware, which can get easily damaged. Your data is stored safely in the cloud, from where you can access it and restore it at any stage. The service is set to enable you to save your files from any disaster and to share them securely with colleagues, family and friends. MyOtherDrive gives you freedom to manage your valuable data. You can learn more about this online backup service here.

Getting Started
MyOtherDrive has a great selection of features that allow you to backup and share files. It also works as an efficient tool to collaborate in projects with other users. Apart from being able to keep your data safe in case of any unexpected event that could compromise it, you can also create photo galleries, music playlists and more. MyOtherDrive is compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. Unfortunately, there are no mobile apps available at this time, which limits the accessibility of your data on the go. However, the web interface allows you to access your files from any computer with an internet connection.

There is a free plan that gives you 2GB of online storage space and it is very easy to sign up for an account. While the free option supports ads and doesn’t include a file linking option, it gives you the possibility of enjoying other features that are part of the paid services, such as high level encryption for your files and unlimited bandwidth. If 2GB is not enough, you can upgrade to a Pro plan, which offers 100GB for just $5 per month, or $55 per year. This option includes file linking and you can get as much as 1TB for $20 per month, or $200 per year.

Business users can also use MyOtherDrive to protect their crucial data as the company offers an Enterprise plan that can give you between 1TB up to 10TB and support for multiple users. For 1TB, you pay $240 per year. The annual subscription price for 2TB is $480 and for 5TB, it’s $1,200. The 10TB plan, which is ideal for high-end companies that need to backup and share a large amount of data, costs $2,400 per year. Even though MyOtherDrive doesn’t support unlimited storage, it allows you to backup data from all your computers, through any of its plans.

How Does it Work
Once you have MyOtherDrive on your computer, you will be able to select folders or files, drag them to the MyOtherDrive Desktop and start backing them up. You can schedule recurring backups, or set up them on demand and any changes that you make on your files will be immediately reflected in MyOtherDrive. The Set it and Forget option allows you to ensure that your data is backed up, even if you are away from your computer. The program will also run automatic backups in the background, without affecting your computer’s performance allowing you to focus on other tasks. You can also manage the bandwidth allocated, or stop a backup task whenever required.

The initial backup usually can take several hours to complete, regardless of the backup service you choose. This is why MyOtherDrive gives you the possibility of sending the data that you need to backup via post. You can use this option when you need to backup a large amount of data and don’t want to wait a long time. You would only need to pay return shipping costs for this service and you can backup anything over 3GB. Apart from backing up data from your computer and external drives, you can import files from other online storage services, if you are changing from your current provider to MyOtherDrive.

The collaboration and sharing tools are very flexible and ensure that you share your data securely. If you need to share photos or files with a group of people without compromising the security of the data, you can use Password-based Sharing. This option allows you to control access via passwords to keep the data safe and confidential. You can also share using Friend-based Sharing, which enables you to decide who should be granted permission to access the files. The Public Sharing option is a good option to share files to a wider audience, without publishing them on a website. These sharing options allow you to manage the way your data is accessed.

You can choose between archival and synchronized backups or use them both. The Backup Map feature allows you to choose the kind of backup you prefer for each Backup Map without any complications. The archival backup allows you to keep older versions of your files and the synchronized keeps up with the updates. The file management application allow you to create photo albums and share them with added control options. You decide if you want to enable the option for viewers to download the original photos. This is a practical way to share family pictures or a professional photograph portfolio.

The security of your information can be protected with AES 128-bit encryption, as long as you mark the folder as encrypted. The encryption is applied before the file is transferred to the server and not even MyOtherDrive will get access to the data. When you create your account, you will also have the option to set up your own encryption password.

Customer Support
MyOtherDrive offers extensive Help and FAQ sections that include a large selection of information about the features that the service offers. User of MytOtherDrive are likely to find answers to their questions in the website. Unfortunately, live chat is not an option available, but in case you still need to get in touch with the support team, you can reach them via web form.

Conclusion
The highlights of MyOtherDrive are its versatile collaboration and file sharing features. While they don’t support unlimited online storage, you can enjoy high capacity plans for a competitive price. MyOtherDrive may lack some advanced protection options like redundant storage and top level encryption, but overall it offers convenient features and enough security to prevent data loss.

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